100 Most Influential People in Healthcare – 2016
Rank 15
Bernie Sanders,
74
U.S. Senator and former presidential candidate, U.S. Senate
- Compensation: $174,000 - according to House Press Gallery
- Years on list: 1
Having finally but firmly ended his presidential bid with an endorsement of his primary rival Hillary Clinton, Sanders scored some victories by getting many of his healthcare priorities included in the Democratic Party's official platform. The independent senator from Vermont used his surprising staying power in the Democratic primaries to call attention to his proposal for a single-payer system, which Clinton argued would roll back the gains of the Affordable Care Act and renew the debate about the law. Clinton, in an effort to appease Sanders' supporters, added more funding for community health centers in the party platform.